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Torhaantje

upgrades for Bigwig 2017 and build

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Hi all, 

After a long time of restoring rc cars, I was given a new Tamiya kit: the Bigwig 2017!!!

I almost forgot how it felt to look at the box, open it it and stare at all the parts.

The blue and yellow ( shocks :rolleyes:)  brings me straight back to the 80's.

At the time the Bigwig was unobtainable for me, other then looking at the pictures and reading the discription in the Tamiya catalogue.....:(

Looking at the manual, I would like to beefen up the drive train a bit. Are there any known uprades for the centre drive shaft, drive cups  and possibe cvd's?

 

Best regards and best wishes for 2022!

Rick

 

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Bigwig came much later that Hotshot, it's actually a good runner without anything.  

Bigwig's bevel gears are slightly lopsided.  It's not a big deal, but you can hear it squeezing and loosening up as you turn the prop shaft.  

Fortunately, it's easy enough to make it run smoothly.  You just need a shim. Kyosho sells 5x8mm shims. (One set includes 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3mm shims.) 

xKPmLj9.jpg

4Sd3W7A.jpg

You should be able to use a steel shaft made for the Hotshot.  Personally, I like the fact that there is some give since the front arc should have more rotation when turning. Since there is no center differential, wire shaft can give some slack.  Shocks are supple so I felt no need to upgrade. 

I don't have a great opinion on CVDs. They are not true CVDs. Technically, you'd want to use 2 of them per side. One on the wheel side, the other on the gearbox side. Using it on one side should be fine, if the CVD works just like the dog bone. But I can't tell which side works like the pin side of the dog bone. So I tend to keep it simple; dog bones don't get out of phase. 

I don't know below CVD has a related phase issue or not. Sometimes more machine parts make more problems. 

 

You definitely need brakes, though.

(I'm kidding. These won't work on Bigwig's dish wheels. But if you get other wheels, these could be handy.)

t4XHlNj.jpg

You can add spark plug wires to the engine block. (V8 makes it run faster, you know.)

hfVkz2R.jpg

Bigwig is fun to build, enjoy! 

 

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Hi Juggular, 

Thank you very much for your extensive reply!!!! :)

I guess it will be a shim, a Hotshot driveshaft and propeller joints, and a steel pinion.

Best regards and best wishes for 2022!

Rick

 

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Started the build :)

Still waiting for the shimms to arrive, therefore couldn't start with the gearboxes as per manual.

Instead I started with the dampers.......oh what a happy sight to see those yellow fellows again......happy days!!! Back in the 80's all over again.

I also made use of the Tamiya e- ring tool for the first time: no more 2 mm e rings flying around or my finger being cought between a pair of pliers! :rolleyes:

IMG_6428.JPG

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The re-re Hot shot driveshaft, propeller joints, and a steel pinion ( 15 T, 08 module) have arrived.

IMG_6429.JPG

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Just finished the front and rear gearbox; added a 0.3 shim in both as per advise from Juggular.

Is it normal that the differential is so tight?

 

IMG_6452.JPG

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2 hours ago, Torhaantje said:

Just finished the front and rear gearbox; added a 0.3 shim in both as per advise from Juggular.

Is it normal that the differential is so tight?

 

IMG_6452.JPG

I am building a bigwig as well and the rear gearbox is very tight compared to the front,this is normal i have been told.When running it will become smoother.

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Finished front and rear end; what a fun build!

front uprights ( with the ballconnector in the ballplate remind me of the SRB front end :D

The blue uprights take me back to my TA01 build.

IMG_6471.JPG

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Chassis is done !

Fitted electonics: my old trusty Futaba Megatech 40 mhz. Found out that the Tamiya TBLE-02s' coolrimms were a bit too high to fit under the upperdeck. I wanted to keep the receiver in i'ts position so it didn't interfered withe the propshaft, so I fitted a small Moped V16 R Bravo. Servo is a Futaba S3305 with metal gears.

The re re Hotshot propshaft and propellor joints fit perfectly!

IMG_6474.JPG

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Despite the large spacers I think the shocks need some harder oil than the supplied yellow shock oil ( 400?)IMG_6477.JPG

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My Bigwig 2017 is overdone with Hop ups, but drives fantastic, the hop ups cost more than the kit did.

Front and rear ball diffs.

Top Force Uni's front and rear

The VQS high cap shock set.

DF 03 2.2 " rims with Schumacher mini spike tyres

Hotshot driveshaft and cups, as you have done

 

Nice job so far

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I have finished my chassis as well and agree with you about the shocks,they seem a bit soft even with large spacers.

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@ Snappy: do the Top Force CVD's fit without any modification? Are they a big improvement over the the stock dogbones?

@ Super Ally: I am a big fan of the yellow shocks, so I would like to keep them. I will try some medium ( green) Tamiya oil I have lying around.

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Yes they just fit, no issues and the genuine Tamiya Top force CVD's are very smooth, my Bigwig with ball diffs and CVD's is really nice to drive

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Good to hear about the Top Force universals! I only saw that they are hard to find (EU).About the ball diff: is that the MIP one where you have to drill out the gear casings or are there alternatives?

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Yes i like the yellow shocks as well on the bigwig.I have just cut out the body and it was tricky so be careful with it.

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1 hour ago, Torhaantje said:

Did you use siccors or the knive-scorche method?

I used scissors and a knife on the tight parts of the body.

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10 hours ago, Torhaantje said:

Good to hear about the Top Force universals! I only saw that they are hard to find (EU).About the ball diff: is that the MIP one where you have to drill out the gear casings or are there alternatives?

Yes, they are the MIP ball diffs, there was other options back in the day but they are made of unobtainium 

I'll have to take more pics, I have this one from during the build process, it is all blacked out, red shell, vintage front arm stabilizer fitted also, it runs a Tamiya 10.5 sensored brushless with the kit speedo

image.thumb.jpg.59d9a819ffa141f4e52ad8a08e5225b2.jpg

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